if mpeg4 is so good, then why is hd-dvd/bluray using mpeg2?

[coenocyte]

I've been hearing a lot about hi-def video coming out. wouldn't it have been easier just to create mpeg4 movies on regular 9gig dvd disk rather than bump up the size to 25gigs from 9gig and still use mpeg2? i guess another way of asking question is would a 2 hr 9gig divx/wm9 movie look as good as a 2 hr 9gig mpeg2 movie? thanks.

[yoda313]

Hello,

I believe part of it is to make it harder to copy. If they use larger discs they won't be copyable to smaller media. They will play the older discs but not record to them. (and you'd have to use more expensive hd/bluray recorders and those may not have been cracked yet for backup purposes- I don't know for sure though)

Also, nothing is wrong with mpeg2. That is quite acceptable.

One other thing, it's a way to start another format war. While the + - war is still going now they can do the bluray/hddvd war to compete for money.

Kevin

[coenocyte]

so what's after mpeg4? mpeg 5/6? there's a clear difference between mpeg1 to mpeg2, and another jump from mpeg2 to mpeg 4. has compression reached its maximum w/ mpeg4?

[bugster]

AFAIK, HDDvd and probably Blu-ray, support mpeg-4, or at least one variant of it.

Current Hi-Def resolutions require approx 4 times as much data as regular DVD (when uncompressed for display that is). Sure, this could have been achieved by using mpeg-4 on current DVD disks, but there are currently no chipsets that will decode such material in HW and doing this in SW required a very meaty processor. Whereas mpeg-2 is well supported and there are plenty of chipsets availabe. Upgrading existing chipsets to support higher resolutions will be a lot easier than developing new chipsets for mpeg-4.

So, Blu-ray and High-def DVD will support mpeg-2 for ease of implementation and backward compatibility (ability to play existing DVD's on the new Hi-def players). They will also support mpeg-4 (or a variant of it) to allow longer movies/more material to be placed on each disk.

At least thats my thoughts on it

[yoda313]

Hello,

They will also support mpeg-4 (or a variant of it) to allow longer movies/more material to be placed on each disk.

Really?? Does that mean they will support divx as well??

Kevin

--Imagine that, a Sony Dvd player supporting divx! --

[bugster]

Hello,

They will also support mpeg-4 (or a variant of it) to allow longer movies/more material to be placed on each disk.

Really?? Does that mean they will support divx as well??

Kevin

--Imagine that, a Sony Dvd player supporting divx! --

It's more likley to be Microsofts WMV variant

[yoda313]

Hello,

They will also support mpeg-4 (or a variant of it) to allow longer movies/more material to be placed on each disk.

Really?? Does that mean they will support divx as well??

Kevin

--Imagine that, a Sony Dvd player supporting divx! --

It's more likley to be Microsofts WMV variant

Hello,

Thanks.

Yeah probably loaded with DRM junk!

Kevin

[rbautch]

Great article on mpeg4....

http://home.earthlink.net/~malcolmhamer/video_formats5.htm

[noki]

The MPEG group has been working on their next iteration of codecs for years now. I believe they are MPEG-7 and MPEG-21...still trying to squeeze hi quality out of even smaller file sizes.